During the Northeast Monsoon season, a total of 8,481 relief centres have been established to prepare for potential floods, with a capacity to accommodate over 2.1 million individuals.
Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah, Sarawak Affairs, and Special Functions, stated that 332 of these relief centres, with a total capacity of 129,096 people, are located in Sabah.
Armizan also emphasized the importance of proactive preparation in national disaster response, highlighting the annual preparations made including the establishment of crucial relief centres to be well-equipped for any eventualities during the monsoon season.
His comments were made following his presence at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Pitas district Permanent Evacuation Centre (PPKB) and inspection of the Rahmah Sales Programme on Sunday (Nov 12).
The Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general, Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, previously predicted four to six episodes of heavy rain during the Northeast Monsoon season, anticipated between Nov 11 and March 2024.
Additionally, Armizan revealed that the construction of the PPKB in Pitas is the first of its kind in Sabah, and one of the nine centres to be built by the federal government, as announced in the Budget 2024.
The Pitas district PPKB, with a cost of RM6.9 million, can accommodate a minimum of 500 people, and aims to provide permanent infrastructure for temporary shelter with improved facilities compared to temporary relief centres.
Armizan highlighted the facilities to be equipped in the centre, including accommodation halls, toilets, bedrooms, laundry areas, kitchens, designated dining area for women, administration and staff room, food storage, basic necessity storage, treatment room, and prayer room.
In addition to the PPKB initiative, he mentioned that the National Disaster Management Agency would collaborate with the State Disaster Management Committee for the implementation of minor repair projects and upgrading of toilets, bathrooms, and storage facilities in existing relief centres in stages.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also announced in the Budget 2024 that the government would provide PPKB in nine flood-affected states, including Sabah and Sarawak. – Bernama
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